


What Matters

by faultysfaux



Category: Harry Potter - J. K. Rowling
Genre: Could totally be any ship friendly, Gen, Hurt/Comfort, Marauders Era (Harry Potter), Mentioned Severus Snape, Pre-Animagus, Remus Lupin Whump, Snape being a bully and bigot, The Marauders - Freeform, friendship fluff, sorry - Freeform
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-11-28
Updated: 2020-11-28
Packaged: 2021-03-10 05:54:31
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 5,576
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/27759469
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/faultysfaux/pseuds/faultysfaux
Summary: James and Sirius remind Remus of his worth after a run in and injury.
Relationships: Remus Lupin & James Potter, Sirius Black & James Potter, Sirius Black & Remus Lupin, Sirius Black & Remus Lupin & Peter Pettigrew & James Potter
Comments: 5
Kudos: 17





	What Matters

**Author's Note:**

> This is probably set around their third year maybe?... I was rereading POA and I had this written ages ago just waiting to be edited. Hope you like Hurt/Comfort, because that's entirely what this is. Poor Lupin.

_Why couldn't his stupid hands just stay steady already?!_

Remus gripped the edge of the sink hard to keep himself still, a final attempt to quiet the shivers running down his protesting limbs, and took a shallow breath. Pain seared through his chest at the movement, but he paid it no mind, his only concern was the thick rivulets of blood - half dried - that ran down his face and neck; something that would definitely draw his friends’ attention if it wasn't cleaned up soon. 

He glanced up to the mirror and even he couldn't stop a grimace in reaction to his seemingly brutalised features.

The cut itself wasn't terrible. Certainly painful and received in such a way as to black out his vision for a few minutes at least, but no, not _terrible_. He could hide it - not the blood. 

_They would never stop_.

He hadn't done anything, he hadn't made a singularly offensive gesture - not even when they had, once his back was turned.

_Why were they doing it?!_ /

He quickly tamped down on that unreasoned thought and pushed through the heavy mirage of the past and further to try and concentrate on what he had to do. His mouth was full of the familiar copper tang and yet . . . he couldn't place why. . . it wasn't the full moon for another two weeks yet. . .

_Grab a hold of yourself!_

Remus threw his eyes back to the ruddied basin, and grabbed at the tap to wash the evidence away from his - own - friend's eyes. 

He never saw the figure that had frozen outside the door, and was just then carefully pulling back to rush down the dormitory staircase.

\------------

James and Sirius sat on opposite sides of the house table "arguing" as usual over one matter or another - an apparently all consuming subject. James seemed to be losing this time, however, as he looked just far too grateful when Peter appeared, frowning, at his shoulder. 

'Peter! Great, now maybe someone can get it through to this man how crucial it is to complete any chocolate beverage with whipped cream - hot or otherwise - may I add.' 

Sirius didn't even tilt his head at another friend's presence at the table, keeping his good-natured glare fixedly on James' face. 

'You know we are discussing _hot_ chocolate here, and how many more times can I say it; the cream melts, it is not worth those first few sips.' 

'It is _so_ worth it! Why bother making something if you aren't going to complete it hmm? The amount of effort you- Pete, what's wrong mate?' James seemed to finally give Peter enough attention to notice that he was looking rather upset - not that that was an all together unusual occurrence. 

'Well I was- I was upstairs and- it was _awfuI_ \- I was just getting my quill and . . . and I think you guys should go up to the dorm.' 

'C'mon, I'm sure it's not as bad as all that,' James had clearly only half listened to what Peter had just said. 'Just sit down and relax, if it's those charms problems Sirius can probably. . .' The boy in question raised a brow. ' _Remus_ can probably. . . actually!' James cast a look over their heads with a pout. 'Where is that one? He should have been here ages ago.' 

Peter gave a strangled huff.

'That's what I wanted to show you! It's Remus. . . He's- It's- I really think you should come up to the dormitory. Now.' 

A raised eyebrow was all he got in response too. 

'I'm serious guys!' 

'No, _I'm_ Sirius. You're _Pet-ter_.' 

He scowled. 

'All right, all right Pete. We'll take a look,' James made a placating hand gesture whilst the two taller teens stood, and took lead towards Gryffindor tower. 'Yeesh!'

____________ 

Remus had made little head way with the amounts of blood still creeping down his neck, joining an already saturated molten collar. If he had been thinking clearly. . . Well, clear thoughts just wouldn't seem to come. 

_Why can't this happen to someone else, huh? It just has to be the boy who already spends half his time in the hospital wing who gets some bloody . . ._

He pulled in a pocket of air and propped a hand against the wall opposite; staring into nothing would accomplish nothing. He picked up the wash cloth at the side of the sink and sloppily ran it over his eye, smearing red into his vision as he dropped it into the water once more. 

_God, I feel bad. It would be nice if someone just-No! I can't let them see. I can't! let them. I should at least be able to withstand a single knock. It’s not like a broken leg, or arm, or neck, or-_

A collection of voices drew his attention to the doorway, and cut off his spiraling thoughts as he froze. The three people who he both really did and didn't want to be there at that exact moment all appeared in his tunneling vision, smiles sliding from two faces. 

'Moony?!' 

He flinched and the door slammed on three shocked mugs leaving a stunned silence from them all, before what sounded distinctly like James began attacking the door handle. 

'Moony! Remus, let us in right now! Remus!'

Remus wondered faintly in some far corner why the door in it's entirety seemed to be moving about, out of time with the loose knob rattling back and forth, when he realised he had stepped away from the sink; he swiftly grabbed onto its cool edge. James' yells stopped, and yet the door budged inwards. Remus kept his head down and eyes locked onto the mildly brown pool before him, he felt like he was about to be sick. After what felt like an age of surprisingly blessed quiet there was a hand on his shoulder that had him looking up and to the side to meet calm as never grey eyes.

'You all right there?'

Remus nodded.

'I think I'm about to be sick.'

Unfortunately for Remus he had learned to be almost too perceptive of his own body and well being, a moment later Sirius had to take a step back to leave room for him to double over on the spot, and lose what little food he had had that day.

'Remus?!' 

There was another set of hands joining his quickly crowding shoulders - Sirius had not let him go yet - pulling him up with more care than he'd expected for such irate a voice.

'Are you okay? Are you going to be sick again? We should get you to Poms.'

'Stop freaking out James, he's fine.'

'I'm not freaking out _Sirius_ , and he's not fine. Look at him!'

Remus did not feel much better than he had a few moments ago when he hadn't heaped a load of embarrassment onto an already teetering pile of pain and upset, but he was not about to let the others, especially James, in on that fact. He straightened his back.

'No, I'm fine,' he forced out with relative clarity. 'Just bumped my head.' 

The moment of quiet following his words didn't really give him much cause for concern; he was barely aware of it actually.

'. . .Sure. . .'

'. . .Right. . .'

He was moving then, not of his own accord, but with near upward pressure stumbling him along from hard, clapping tile, onto something softer. He realised he had let his eyes close some time ago, _or had they just fallen shut?_ Either way he just couldn't seem to make himself care. That was until the hands he hadn't been aware of leaving him were back, and moving him about quite violently.

'Hey, Moony! Keep the lights on would you?' _That was definitely Sirius_. 

'He could have a cracked skull, we need to take him to the Infirmary.' _And James_. 

'Look, we've already decided, he's fine here.'

_He must have missed something_.

'Yeah, but what if he gets worse or-' James was always so concerned with Remus' health; between pushing food on him from all sides, to apparently checking on him in the middle of the night - Sirius had found it creepy so of course had told him about it only _after_ their _second_ year - and even though it was frustrating, and degrading, and humiliating when he would physically restrain Remus from leaving the breakfast table until he "bloody well ate his porridge", it always gave him this warm twinge inside, '-he could be dying for all we know!' James finished on a spectacularly masculine imitation of a steam kettle.

'I'm not dying. I'm-,' Remus whispered into the creeping black consuming all that was left of his consciousness. Before his friends had shown up he had been '-fine.' 

_James cared for him, but he wasn't worth it._

____________ 

'Is he dead?' 

'Shut up Peter!'

'He's not dead all right, I think he's just unconscious,' Sirius frowned at his place near the end of Remus' bed, his original place at the top had been taken by the near - and hiding it very badly - frantic James. He watched the subtle rise and fall of his friend's chest, and found comfort enough there to move his thoughts on to planning what they were going to do next.

Remus - little, harmless, couldn't do damage to an owlet if he tried, and got upset if he tore the corner of a page - Remus, looked _terrible_. His pale skin was almost white in comparison to the dark dirty blood which covered, in varying thickness, the whole right side of his head, and horrifyingly most of his hands. Remus had not been lying completely when he had told them that he had "bumped" his head; Sirius mentally snorted at the poor insert. Suddenly, he wasn't able to think much past the burning acerbic anger that caught his thoughts and movements once he had mulled the boys words over. He began to pace.

'Sooo we're not taking him to Poms?'

Sirius stopped short when he realised someone had asked him a question. It was Peter.

'What?' 

'Moony. We're not taking him to the Hospital Wing then?' the boy asked innocently from his post on his own bed across the room. 

'No! Of course not!' Sirius snapped. 'Stupid.' 

Somewhere in the back of his mind Sirius felt that he should apologise to Peter, especially when Peter's only reaction at his harsh words was to nod and avert his gaze back to the comforter he was picking over. Unfortunately, however, that small reasonable voice was being drowned out at that moment - as it often was - by a thunderous temper. Then he noticed that something had changed in the room. 

'Where's James?' Sirius asked a bit too sharply. 

Peter opened his mouth. 

'Here,' another voice answered. Sirius turned to see James emerge from the bathroom holding the washcloth he had seen left muddied from the side of the sink, now cleaned through by the looks of it, and. . .a cereal bowl? 

' _What_ are you doing?' Sirius questioned, more than a note of derision in his voice. 

James set his items down on Remus' nightstand before tilting his head to give him a very obvious eye roll. 

'Sorting this one out, since y'know, we can't get him actual professional help,' James said, his wryly raised eyebrow and light voice belaying his hard undertone and eyes. 

'On that note!' Sirius chirped, taking a wide step towards the dorm door, 'Do you think dinner's been served yet? Or do you think we might have some time before hand?' a dark smirk twisting his face. 

'Hey! We're not doing that now!' James was suddenly right there, hand caught a hold of his sleeve. 

Sirius twisted around to see his friend's entirely serious expression. 

'Of course we are. Why the hell would we not?' 

'Remus just passed out!' 

He felt his eyes tip to look past James to the figure sprawled across the bed, but answered sharply all the same. 

'So?' 

James did a kind of hop on the spot, and exchanged his hard look for a murderous one. 

' _So?!_ ' he near shouted. 'So I want to kill that little slimy git as much as you- and the whole lot of those snakes! But I'm not going to leave our friend like this, or risk getting the wrong person, and getting detention for it either!' 

A snort escaped the Black as he moved to fully face James, pushing in close, though of course he had never been able to intimidate him - it was the main reason they'd become friends in the first place. 

'It wasn't a cupboard or "holier than thou" Hufflepuff that did this James, all those snakes are the same, and since when have you cared about getting in trouble? We got a detention everyday for a month last year just to see if we could!' Sirius' voice had built to a yell, but he let it lower to a hiss then. 'We're the Marauders. You're the one who came up with the whole official group idea, and now you want to let Snivellus- of all - beat up one of ours, and not do something back?' 

There was a moment, then James turned away, letting Sirius and his sleeve fall back towards the door. 

He huffed, walked to the bed again, picked up the wash cloth, and leaning over, began to inexpertly clean down their friend's features. 

Sirius watched, from his position a whole bed away, as James rinsed off the fabric in the bowl - which he now realised must be filled with water or something alike - and repeated his terribly uncoordinated ministrations. He was still gentle though, careful with each frown controlled dab not to disturb, or aggravate, and on any other day, Sirius might have laughed at that stupidly silly face, but not now. Not with the uncomfortable shift in his stomach which threatened to overthrow his previously dire rage just by looking at his friends. He didn't know why. 

'This cut looks pretty horrible,' James spoke up, brushing back Remus' fringe to reveal the laceration Sirius had already taken in earlier; he had seen worse - though he didn't say that to any of them, ever. He shook his head. 'The murtlap essence stopped the bleeding, but-' 

'I know, but it's not actually all that bad.' 

'Have you seen it?!' 

'Yeah!' Sirius grew defensive at James' skeptical look. 'Took a look earlier when you were quaking your pants off.' 

James scowled, beginning an injured comeback when he was interrupted. 'Hey! I'm not the one-' 

'What are you doing James? Need any help?' Peter had gotten up to join James on the opposite side of Remus' headboard - Sirius hadn't noticed him move - to question James' awkward movements Sirius guessed, he wasn't usually the type to get in either of the taller boys way when fighting. 

'Oh. . .well. . .I'm just- You see Pete . . .' he ran a hand through his hair, 'I'm not really that sure actually.' James cut a strangely self conscious figure which his usual quidditch bravado didn't often allow for. He sighed and seemed to deflate before their eyes. 'It's just what my mum does.' 

Sirius felt that strain in his stomach switch to his lungs. Zeroing in on James' hands he saw him place the wash cloth, rinsed off and folded up, on Remus' now pale clean forehead.

'I'm all up for tipping Snivellus off the astronomy tower any day,' James spoke, sat back and meeting his friend's gaze, voice low. 'But. . . But I'm not risking missing out on Moony's "change". Like before. Not just so we can have a go at him. 

He stuck up his palm when Sirius opened his mouth, barely containing his outraged, confused - and slightly smug - reprovel. 

'We'll get the sneak. We'll do the whole defending Moony's honour thing,' James looked down at the unconscious boy in question. 'And yeah, Snivellus _is_ the only twat who ever thought someone like _Moony_ was worth picking on, the nosy pratt,' his face twisted angrily as he spoke. 'But only _after_ /the full moon. 

'It's ages away! James-'

'Less than two weeks! We've gotten more than two weeks detention for less then tackling someone to the floor and beating them senseless right in the middle of the great hall. And anyway, us getting back at Snape for doing _this_ , and then leaving Moony to tear himself all up for a whole night doesn't make any sense. We promised we'd be there for him. '

Thoughtful silence prevailed.

'So lets just leave it. For now.'

Sirius felt like all the energy that had been churning inside him sank into some pit in his middle he couldn't see, but sat waiting, ready to over tip. It was always the same.

He flopped down onto Remus' trunk. James busied about the room, spelling away mess, tiding around the washroom so long Sirius suddenly remembered the state the place must have been in, especially after Remus' unfortunate. . . incident. He did not feel the least bit sorry for not helping in the clean up then. Tidying always seemed to help calm James down anyhow.

Remus continued to breath, and that was nice too.

It took a while for James to return to his perch on the bedside. It was quiet, and all Sirius could hear when he closed his eyes was the subtle whoosh of air moving in and out of four sets of lungs. 

'Is that what we're planning on doing then?' he asked the darkness. There was the expected pause of confusion. 

'Hmm? What?' 

'Y' know. The tackling, beating senseless thing.'

Another short wait. 

'Well,' James was all high-pitched indignation, 'I did say we're defending honour didn't I?' 

'I would have thought Evans was the only one worthy of that sort of attention.'

'Perish the thought Sir! A Dame take precedence over a fellow Lord of Mischief? How very dare you! Marauders always come first!' 

Sirius opened his eyes to let his head fall towards the head of the bed. James had a hand on his chest, and frown on his face, faux-melodramatic, nose held high in the air. He felt his lips twitch even as he raised an eyebrow.

'Always?'

The other boy glanced at him side eyed. 

'. . .In situations such as these.'

'Mmm Hmm.'

'Now, if it was a matter of say a trip to the village, or I don't know, any or at all possibility of any kind of "romantic interaction" . . .then . . . maybe . . .'

They smiled. A shift of bedclothes quickly drew back their attention. James' act dropped instantly. Nothing changed. 

'He'll be fine.'

It turned out it was Sirius himself who had spoken, but he couldn't be sure it was just James he was trying to reassure. 

'We could always do something a little more. . . underhanded y'know.'

James' eyes narrowed,' Snape would know it was us. And there isn't a teacher here that wouldn't believe him when he went and tattle-taled.'

With a sudden dragging weight somewhere around his collar Sirius near collapsed next to Remus' feet. They wouldn't be leaving the dorm tonight - _he_ wouldn't.

'We'll keep an eye on him.'

____________ 

Remus felt heavy. It was a cliché even his half aware brain was knowing of, but that was the only way he knew to describe it; he felt as if every ounce of himself was just a bit too much for all of him to take. He thrummed and pounded, rolled and prickled, his body had declared war on itself and him.

And someone was shouting his name? Into what he suspected was his left ear. . . 

'-mus. Re-s. Moony?'

Except it must have been a particularly raspy shout. 

'A-Are we sure he's not dead?' 

'Shut up Pete,' Intoned two voices.

'I'm positive he was waking up.' 

Remus really liked all those tones and accents, but just couldn't seem to convince his eyelids they led to a worthwhile view. 

'I think he twitched.' 

He tried his throat. 

'Remus.'

'Moony!'

'Remus?'

He had been wrong, someone had been _whispering_ before; his ears rang with actual noise now. He didn't even have to work up to the groan that vibrated past his teeth then.

'All right, now I'm starting to think Petey had a point -'

'Which is never a good thing.'

'- so lets get you up.'

Remus then experienced one of the oddest sensations of decapitation he could hope never to occur again, his body felt light as it rose to lay against a feathery cloud, all the while, leaving his very heavy hurting head somewhere far behind.

His eyes jolted open, which in turn seemed to jolt every aching bone of every limb; he bounced slightly on the bed, and shut them again.

'Definitely awake. Thank Merlin. Take it easy now,' said a very James? sounding voice. A warm weight settled on his shoulder. 

'Are you alive then?' 

'Can he speak?' 

His brain felt like a wet pulsing ball of cotton wool.

'No to both.'

There was a huff of relief at the sound of his frankly mangled voice. 

'Thought so.'

Did James sound odd? Remus chanced another peek at his surroundings. Said friend sat on the edge of _his_ bed, Sirius beside him, and Peter's watery eyes reflected jitteringly just off to Remus' right. The former two were noticeably, strangely calm. And Remus had dried blood on his hands.

_Well now everything makes more and less sense._

He attempted to take a quiet breath as his heart rate plummeted to the baseboards, and he suddenly felt much more awake. 

_He was dead. They were dead. Why were they all here? His friends would never leave something like this alone. What had he missed? Did he get sick on Sirius? Oh Merlin._

There was a sudden build up of heat in the corner of his eyes.

'Miss anything?' he asked as neutrally as possible - _They never cared for being directly accused_ \- and shocked himself with his coherency in that moment. His breath was coming a lot quicker than he would have liked though.

'How are you feeling?' James asked in lieu of answering.

The bed was soft beneath him, and he tried to comfort himself with the fact that neither Sirius, or James appeared to be recovering from any of Snape's more viscous hexes. _They had killed Snape then. That had to be it_. He took another slow long breath amongst a dozen more fast.

'Oh, I'm fine, but-' 

'Pardon,' butted in Sirius - Remus would have laughed at himself then for the paper thin indignation he felt for being interrupted-' "Fine" is a word that has now been banned from use within this dormitory - we took a vote while you were out - for sake of all Wizardom and Jamie's nerves. So what were you saying?'

'I _am_ fine,' Remus persisted stubbornly, raising himself up as best he could despite his pains. 'Perfectly well thank you, so why don't you fill me in on whatever you've been up to after I fell flat on my face.' 

'We didn't let you fall flat on your face!-' 

'We didn't go after Snape Moony,' James sighed over Sirius' indignant yelp. He looked completely serious, and his voice sounded reposeful. 'And we aren't going to, at least for a while, so you can relax.' 

No matter what state he was in Remus would always manage to raise his eyebrow sardonically. Even with his heart in his throat. 

'Its true,' Sirius huffed drawing his eye. 'We've come over all old and Ravenclaw-y, Snivellus gets off Scott free 'til further notice, so be honest now.'

But Remus still hesitated. 

' _Promise_ Moony,' said James. 'We've been here this entire time, _and_ no matter what, we won't take you to Pomphrey.' And he did not look happy about that fact. 

The hand on Remus' shoulder was heavy. James was gripping on to him like he was about to disappear through the mattress at any second, and finally, while staring around at his friends with as much scrutiny as he could still manage, he sank back into his pillows. His chest was tight, and he couldn't think straight anyway, but suddenly the feeling of an immediate threat was gone. 

'Oh. Well, all right, that's good then.'

Peter snorted a laugh.

'So how are you feeling then,' poked James, his hand gave Remus a tiny pointed shake before he withdrew it.

Remus let his mind wander for a moment, then sighed. 

'My head is killing me, and I'm sore all over. If I didn't know better, I would say the moon had just come and went. Nothing to worry about though,' he hastened to add. 

'Sounds like it,' came a sarcastic Sirius. 

'Anything else?' asked James. 'Still feeling sick?' 

'No. . . Just tired.'

And he was, the continuous squeeze around his heart did little for his overall stamped under a centaur feel. It was quiet for a moment where Remus was very sure he could see the silent conversation between his friends escalate to a scowl passed from one to the other. At the very least he was consoled that Peter would be currently as clued in as he was. 

'So it _was_ Snivellus then?' Sirius snapped.

Remus was nothing if not a push over, unfortunately, loath as he was to say, and he didn't think this was a fight worth having when he knew he would give in in the end. Still. 

'Do you swear?' 

'I solemnly swear Severus Snape is safe from our retribution for now,' James answered solemnly. 

'I solemnly swear,' Sirius said resignedly. 

'I solemnly swear,' Peter repeated promptly, which was nice if entirely pointless. 

He tried to drag his thoughts in order, to put his wording just so. He didn't hold much hope for himself. He remembered he hadn't gotten to dinner that evening, _he was hungry, there was a horrible tang of blood and something worse at the back of his teeth, he felt ill. . .he wasn't going to tell James that_.

'Well. . . I was just heading back from McGonagall's office of all places when something hit me from in the side-' 

'He cursed you when you weren't looking?!' 

' _Something_ hit me in the side and I, I must have hit my head on a cabinet, or statue, or something-'

'I thought you just bumped it.'

'-because it was like I was suddenly waking up on the floor. I'm not sure.' Without realising it Remus' breathing had sped up again, he observed his friends sitting close by his sides and concentrated.

Remus had quite a bit of experience with passing out, his vision darkening to nothing only for him to wake up at a different time and place, blacking out, his body doing so many things out of his control. _He hated it_. Disorientation was familiar and horrible, especially in the moments of coming back to himself in various painful states. Peter looked terrified. 

'What else Moony? Was he still there when you got up?' 

Remus hesitated, but eventually nodded. He didn't bother mentioning that it wasn't just Snape who hexed him, who kicked him when he was down, it would only make matters worse. 'Honestly, I don't remember it all that well right now, so lets just forget about it for the time being hmm?'

He reached up to rub his hands across his face to allay the barely held back fury in Sirius' would be calm expression. His head was throbbing terribly from how tense he was, how fast his breath was pushing blood through his temples.

'Forget about it?

'You swore, remember?'

'Let that little git get away with something like this Moony? That's ridiculous!' Sirius proclaimed.

'It really doesn't matter.'

'Doesn't matter?!' yelped James.

'Remus,' Sirius took a hold of his shoulders and pulled him up slightly to frown sternly into his face. 'This is serious.' _Must be if no one was touching that pun._ He tried not to wince at the movement.

'That little sneak knows what you are,' Sirius spoke contemptuously. And Remus felt his face pale, even as his brain went blank. 'And now what? He's willing to trap you alone in corridors to get at you. We can't let this just go.'

'He's right,' James put in calmly.

He shook his head, and tried to reassemble his thoughts.

'I wasn't trapped. You're blowing this way out of proportion; we pick on Snape as much as he picks on us,' Remus said as much to himself as the others to soothe his rising stress. As if this wasn't something he worried about day in and day out.

'He could tell someone next.' _Well now he was doubly happy he didn't mention the other student there_.

'Just leave it, all right,' he shrugged his shoulders to dislodge Sirius' hands, and made a great effort to roll over onto his side, as good a way to escape the conversation as any. 'It's not worth causing trouble over.'

'Remus,' in the corner of his eye he could see James looking fairly upset. He ignored him. Remus was terribly tired by now, and he just wanted the day to end.

Again some in-depth conference was being held somewhere to his right, but he payed it no mind, the bed shook a little with the force of a few poignant gestures. Remus shut his eyes in an attempt to block it all out. The bedside lantern flickered gently in the dark evening light, and it played dully behind Remus' eyelids. There were very few sounds making their way up to Gryffindor Tower at that time in the evening.

Some decision must have been reached.

'He's not frightened of you Remus,' murmured Sirius quietly. 'You always think. . . All those things Dumbledore says about fear. . . _Snape_ and all the rest like him don't do what he did because they're scared of you. . . He hates you.'

Remus could feel a painful tightening sensation at the base of his throat. James made a harried sound, but there was some move made which seemed to placate him because Sirius continued on firmly.

'He thinks you are less than the dirt beneath his feet. He thinks that he can treat you the way he does, because he can and should, that- that it's what you deserve. It's what all those kinds of wizards think, what they talk about.' There was a hand on Remus' arm, 'They're wrong Moony, but those types of Wizards do terrible things to people like you.'

'Yeah,' piped up James. 'We might pull some pranks on that greasy git, but were hardly going to do something that could kill him. Plus, he deserves it.'

'James.'

'It's true though,' squeaked Peter of all people.

'I can look after myself.'

'Don't think we all don't know you Moony. Not worth the trouble,' James grumbled,' honestly. You are not some monster just because your furry-little-problem, and if you think we wouldn't do the same for anyone else, you're really not as clever as I thought. Snivellus wouldn't blink twice at you dying, while you get upset with us calling him names!'

Remus didn't really know what to do with everything that had been said. He still felt conflicted, and the ache in his head was preventing him from making much headway with it all.

'All right.'

'All right?' returned somebody.

'Yes, all right. Can I be left to sleep now.'

'Don't you want any food? We've all missed most of dinner.'

'No, James,' Remus said as pointedly as possible. 'You can always go ahead though.'

Silence and sleep lapped in equal measure.

'All right.'

Suddenly there was a light weight surrounding him as a thump sounded just behind his head, some cool air slipped down his shirt collar - he was still in his ruined school robes. The bed dipped behind him too. He blinked his eyes open to witness nothing, he cricked his neck, and James came into view sprawled beside him. It was James' comforter from home draped over the two of them. Sirius chose that moment to flop across the end of the bed, thankfully missing Remus' toes, but not James'.

'Sirius!'

'What's happening?' questioned Remus blankly.

Peter was pulling the entirety of his bedclothes across the dorm to pile them along Remus' bedside.

'James and I need our beauty sleep of course,' Sirius spoke from where his head was submerged in the hangings.

'Of course.'

'And one of us will only fret if he isn't allowed to Matron you for the rest of the evening.'

James said nothing to contradict this.

'Peter?' his brow furrowed as Remus tried to deal with the situation his _dormmates_ presented.

'It's like a sleepover really, and we've never had one of those,' the other boy replied brightly, meeting Remus' eyes directly from his position sitting right by Remus' head.

'But we sleep in the same dormitory.'

Sirius tutted mutely.

'Don't ruin our fun Moony, for someone who almost threw up all over my robes earlier, you're sure mouthing off quite a bit.'

'We're going to get hot chocolates and treats from the kitchens later, _if_ you're up for it by then.'

'Lots of fun.'

They were all still in they're uniforms, and Remus found it hard to believe any of the others would be sleeping anytime soon. He was a terrible push over though.

He slumped back down, not very comfortable, but more than a little worn out. He ignored the whispering that began about two seconds after he let himself truly relax into his well guarded setting. _Nothing could get him here could it. No one._

. . .'Moony?'

. . .

'Psst, _Moony_.'

'Hmm?'

. . .

'Do _you_ take cream on your hot chocolate?'

**Author's Note:**

> Thanks for reading, hope you got something from this, and even if this story is twelve years old do feel free to comment! They always make my day. Sorry Lupin :[


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